The Clock's Ticking
by Dreamlover83
Summary: After crashing their car in a snowstorm, a desperate Red and Liz are forced to find shelter in a remote cabin. Will they survive until they are able to get back to civilization? This fanfic was written by Jammequin and I, so this is a combined effort. We wrote it alternating chapters. We don't own The Blacklist
1. Crash

Chapter one: Crash

'Red, are we going to make it to the next town; this snow's starting to get really heavy?'

'I don't know, sweetheart. However, if we go back, we're just as likely to get stuck. We must be about halfway across the pass by now'

'God, I can't believe this. We came so close to getting to the airfield. Now we're gonna be stuck in the wilderness!'

'We couldn't have predicted the freeway having that accident. Don't worry, Lizzy, I've been in far worse predicaments before. We're gonna be okay'.

Ten miles later and the snow was so heavy that Red could barely see through the windscreen. His vision was not aided by the fact that nightfall had come and the glare of the headlights reflected back off the falling snow. Liz had fallen asleep, exhausted by yet another long, crazy day of being a fugitive and he didn't want to wake her but knew that pulling over and waiting for the snow to abate a little was the only real option. Just as he was about to try to find somewhere safe to pull in, a deer ran right out in front of the car.

'Shit….'

Red grappled with the steering wheel but once the car started skidding there was no way he was getting it back under control. Not with all the snow on the ground. They flew sideways towards the edge of the road. Next thing they knew the car had flipped down the verge into the trees. Both were dazed but at least the car had stopped moving.

'Lizzy, talk to me, are you okay?'

'Yeah, I'm…, I'm okay. What happened?'

'There was a deer. I'm sorry, I jerked the wheel too hard and lost traction. God, my head….'.

'Red, let me see'

Liz undid her belt and bent towards where Red was leaning forward in his seat. There was blood pouring from a wound on his temple. However, despite the amount of blood, the cut looked fairly superficial.

'It's okay, it's just a cut. Can't see anything in it. Let me just hold my scarf on it a moment'.

'Thanks, don't worry, I'll be okay. But we really need to see about getting out of this car and finding some shelter'

'Wouldn't we be better off staying here? I mean, at least we'll be dry and protected from the wind'

'True, but the way this storm's getting worse, I don't like our chances of not freezing to death anyway. And we don't have anywhere near enough food and water to last long. I get the feeling this road is going to be impassable now so we can't rely on anyone finding us. We need to see if there's anything nearby. I'm not completely sure but I think I saw a mailbox about half a mile back. Hopefully there's a house or cabin or something back off the road'.

They managed to scramble out of the car, only to be hit by the freezing cold wind and were immediately up to their knees in the snow lying in the deep verge by the road. Neither of them was wearing clothes that would keep them warm for long and their footwear certainly wasn't appropriate.

'Lizzy, we're gonna have to grab our essentials and make our way back quickly. It's not gonna take too long before this cold saps our energy. Come on, put on my coat, yours won't protect you. Thankfully, I'm a man of many coats so I'll be okay', he smirked.

'Uh-uh, yeah, for once I approve of your need to travel with a portable wardrobe'.

Red laughed and they both scrambled up the bank, having grabbed their bags from the trunk of the car. Turning back the way they had come they started walking purposefully back towards where Red sincerely hoped he was right about having seen a mailbox.

The road was almost impossible to walk on due to the depth of the snow but the rough ground either side was even worse. After twenty long minutes, they were both exhausted and there was still no sign yet of the mailbox Red thought he had seen.

'Red, I'm starting to think it wasn't a mailbox you saw. Maybe it was just a road sign or…'

'There it is! Ha, I knew it. What were you saying, Lizzy?'

'Smart-ass', Liz grinned back at him.

They got to the mailbox and sure enough it seemed like it was for a domestic property as the only word on it was 'Jamieson'. The track leading away from the road was barely big enough to fit a car down but at least it did seem to be a proper driveway that would lead somewhere helpful, rather than a path to nowhere. The snow was just as deep on the track as it had been on the road, despite the tree cover overhead.

'God, I can't feel my feet, Red. These shoes were seriously not made for the snow'.

'Would you like me to carry you? Mine are keeping my feet warm rather gloriously. Never skimp on the quality of your footwear, Lizzy', Red smirked.

'No, I would not like you to carry me! And if you don't wipe that smug grin off your face in the next two seconds, you're gonna find your handmade Italian shoes hanging from the branches of that tree'.

Despite her harsh words, Liz couldn't help but smile back at Red. Even in a situation like this, he just had to tease her to take her mind off things. They trudged on together, both hoping desperately that this wasn't a long driveway.

Another exhausting ten minutes later and they were still huffing and puffing their way up the slope, which had now increased in gradient. Red was just about to suggest they take a short breather when suddenly Liz yelped and fell to the ground. Red was at her side in a heartbeat.

'Sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you okay?'

'My knee. God, ow, it hurts'.

'What happened?'

'I'm not sure. I think I trod on something hidden under the snow….. Ahhhh…. Damn, it's sore. I think I've twisted my knee. Dammit!'

Red tenderly felt her knee to ascertain if she might've broken anything. Although Liz hissed with pain when he gently prodded at the joint, she let him continue.

'Yeah, I think it's just a sprain or a strain. You'll be able to put some weight on it but not bend or move it much. Come on, let's get you up'.

With much grunting and a few choice swear words from Liz, they managed between them to get her to her feet. She balanced precariously, one hand gripping Red's shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise.

'There's no way in hell I can walk on this Red, it feels like it's gonna explode'.

'Okay, well, give me your bag. And put your arm around my neck. I'll take the weight of that knee. It's gonna take us a bit longer to get wherever the hell we're going but don't worry, we'll get there'.

Red smiled at Liz reassuringly and in that moment, despite the dire situation they were in and the screaming agony coming from her knee, she couldn't help but smile back at him. He always remained so positive, no matter what. His enthusiasm was infectious. And, quite honestly, there was no one else she'd rather be stuck with in the freezing cold woods with a busted knee.

Once they were able to work out a rhythm of walking together, their progress was steady. Slow, but steady. With the snow falling ever heavier though, it was now imperative they find shelter soon. Red started to curse quietly under his breath, knowing that if they got stuck out in this, they'd both freeze.

Liz was just about to ask what he was muttering about when something caught her eye through the trees.

'Red, look, that's a building, right?'

Red looked up and squinted through the falling snow. There was definitely some kind of shadow there of an unnatural shape.

'Yes, Lizzy, well-spotted! That could be our home for the night', he said whilst smiling back at her broadly.

Before Liz knew what was happening, Red had swept her up in his arms and started to plough through the snow with renewed vigour.

'Red, what the….. Put me down, you'll hurt yourself', Liz pleaded whilst trying not to laugh.

'Not a chance, sweetheart, now I know I only have to make it another sixty feet or so, that knee of yours has done its job for the night!'

Within a minute they were standing on the porch of a rather small and basic looking cabin. Small and basic it may've been but the two of them couldn't have been more pleased with their discovery. Red gently set Liz down on a chair that was on the porch and started rubbing at the window panes, trying to see in.

'Well, it certainly doesn't look like anyone's home. However, draw your weapon and wait here. I'm going to go in and check it out'.

Liz reluctantly pulled her gun from her holster, wishing she could give Red backup, and held it steadily pointing towards the door. She knew that there wouldn't be any real enemies within but seeing as they were about to perform some B&E, any occupant of the cabin would be well within their rights to be afraid of them, let alone defend themselves. Red pulled out his own gun and reached for the door handle. It turned easily and the door swung open.

'God bless trusting people, Lizzy, we could be in luck. Now just wait here a moment'.

Red pushed the door fully open and strode into the cabin, quickly making his way into the darkness. Within a minute, he was back and was beaming widely.

'All clear, sweetheart. Doesn't look like anyone's been here for weeks, probably months. I'm guessing this is a Spring to Fall holiday cabin, rather than somewhere people would come for winter. I mean, all that would happen is you'd get snowed in', he chuckled.

He bent over and scooped Liz up again and carried her across the threshold. Liz couldn't help but smile to herself at the symbolism of his act but rather hoped it hadn't occurred to him. However, Red was all too aware of the gesture he was reenacting by carrying her into the cabin like this and had to immediately banish the sad thought that sprang to mind that this'd be the only opportunity he'd ever have to perform it with her.

He placed her down once more on the couch in the living area. There was a couch, a couple of armchairs, a table and chairs, two cupboards and a fireplace. Hardly anything else in the room at all, other than a few pictures on the walls. Liz looked at them as best she could in the poor light.

'Looks like the occupants of this cabin are a couple in their sixties, maybe even older. The likelihood of them turning up anytime soon is pretty small. We got lucky, Red'.

'Yeah, so far, so good'.

'Red, can I have another look at your head now?'

'Sweetheart, I'm sure it's fine. But okay'.

Red sat down on the couch next to Liz as she used the moonlight from the window to check his cut.

'Okay, it looks good. It's stopped bleeding. Just fetch me one of those alcohol wipes from your medikit and I'll make sure you don't get gangrene'.

'I'm not sure gangrene is too likely, dear, but okay' Red grumbled as he leant over to root through his bag, 'Here you go'.

Liz ripped open the alcohol wipe and gently rubbed Red's temple, cleaning away the dried blood.

'Okay, good as new' Liz said whilst aiming the screwed up alcohol wipe at the fireplace.

'Okay', Red said, standing up, 'I'm gonna get this fire going to warm you up and then have a look around and see if there's anything that might be of use to us. Some filet de boeuf or maybe a nice vintage Merlot would be a good start. And, oh God, please let there be Scotch'.

Liz couldn't help but laugh at the improvement in Red's mood. She knew that no matter what, they were gonna be okay. He'd take care of them both. And feed them both. Even if it meant going out and wrestling a deer to the ground himself. She grinned at the image.

'Something funny, Lizzy?', Red queried.

'No, no… Just get that fire started, I'm frozen'.

'Your wish is my command', Red said whilst mock bowing.

He then immediately set to work looking around for matches and tinder. There was a large pile of logs by the fire but they'd never light without a little help. Thankfully there was a bag of kindling in one of the cupboards and some matches. Within five minutes Red had the kindling going and was arranging the logs over it.

'Okay, that should get going soon enough. You okay, Lizzy?'

'Honestly, Red, I'm so cold my teeth are chattering and my knee's throbbing like crazy. So, er, not really.'

Red frowned and disappeared from the room for a few moments. Liz could hear thumping noises from one of the other rooms in the cabin and Red grunting. She wondered what on earth he was up to. However, her question was soon answered when she saw Red half-stumbling back into the room, dragging a double mattress with him.

'I've taken this off the bed. There's no point it being in there, those other rooms won't get warm enough. We'll need to stay by the fire'.

He thumped it down a few feet from the fire and turned to lift Liz again. She had already started to rise by herself and was tentatively putting weight on her knee. However, in the time since she'd last had to use it, thanks to Red's insistence on carrying her, it had seized up badly and she cried out in pain and stumbled forward. Red, of course, caught her in his arms again and held her up.

'Seriously, Lizzy, this stubborn, independent streak of yours….. Just let me help'.

'Yeah, okay, sorry. Just thought I could manage it'.

He helped her over to the mattress and laid her down. He then removed his jacket and put it on top of her.

'Okay, I'm going to assess what else I can find in the cabin. Don't go anywhere, got that?'

'Yes, boss', Liz smiled back at him, the warmth of the fire beginning to reach her at last.

Red disappeared once more out of sight and Liz sat staring at the flames as they got bigger. Ever since the fire when she was a little girl, she'd not really been a fan of such sights but she was so goddamn cold she couldn't afford to indulge in such thoughts right now.

There was more thumping, more grunting and some chuckling coming from the other rooms and Liz was beginning to think Red was just toying with her, what with the ridiculous range of noises he was making. However, he once more reappeared laden with goodies.

'Right, here we have some blankets, a couple of pillows and the piece de la resistance, a bag of peanuts I found in the bedside drawer. Which was odd. But very welcome'.

Liz giggled at him again. He could be such a buffoon. She gratefully accepted the peanuts he offered to her and opened them immediately. She shook some out onto his palm and then started to work her own way through the bag.

'Okay, now for the kitchen. Pray for me, Lizzy, I'm a man who gets very grumpy when hungry'.

Liz sat happily by the fire, awaiting his return. The heat was really starting to warm her up now and the peanuts were quite possibly the finest thing she'd ever eaten. She hadn't even realised how hungry she was until she'd started upon them.

'Oh my god, Lizzy, I swear we are the luckiest car crash surviving, stuck in the snow, hobbled at the knee people in the whole world'

Liz raised an eyebrow at Red as he came back into the room.

'Good news or okay news; which would you like first?'

'Er, okay news I guess', Liz mumbled out around a mouthful of peanuts.

'Excellent choice. The okay news is that there is no heating of any kind in this cabin except for that fire. It definitely is a seasonal holiday home. Which means we're not gonna get found here. However, there is a large pile of logs in the shed, easily enough for a couple of days. Hmm, thinking about it, I think I managed to spin that into the good news column', Red laughed.

'Yeah, that was a lot better than I was expecting', Liz laughed back at him. 'So, the really good news?'

'There's running water. I guess it must come from a well underground or something as pipes in the house would probably have frozen had there been an attic tank. But the pipes in the kitchen and bathroom work fine and the water is running beautifully. And once the fire starts to heat the cabin up a little, the water may not even give you an instant brain freeze when you drink it', he shuddered, with a pained look on his face.

'That's great. But, er, other than this bag of peanuts…. Er, half-bag of peanuts…. Is there any food?'

'Yes, there is. The cupboards are chock full of canned goods and long-life food like chips, milk, all kinds of stuff. Including a particularly tasty onion relish', Red said, licking his lips. 'So we're good. As long as you like vegetables'.

Liz's face dropped slightly. 'There's just vegetables?'

'No, sweetheart, trust me I'd have filed that under 'bad news' had that been the case. There's also some cured meat and a few of the cans have some kind of pseudo meat product in them.'.

Red continued, 'In the shed where I found the logs, there's a generator I've gotten going and a coupla tanks of gas, which seems to run a fridge/freezer, heat the water and….', Red flicked a switch on the wall, 'we have light'.

'Okay, you've done well, Mister Forager', Liz laughed. 'Now how's about you bring me something to eat before I expire. These peanuts aren't cutting it anymore'.

'At once, Madam', Red threw over his shoulder whilst hastening back to the kitchen.

Ten minutes later and they were both nicely full of canned beans and chips.

'Okay, filling as that was, tomorrow I may look to see if the oven and burners work', Red said. 'I think I saw some propane gas in the garage so hopefully they're for the oven. But right now, I need to sleep. How about you?'

'Please, yes', Liz sighed. 'I feel like I could sleep for a year'.

'Okay, let me just put some more logs on the fire so it doesn't die overnight.'

Once that was done, Red popped off his shoes and climbed under the blankets with Liz, allowing her the side nearest to the fire's warmth. They were both so tired that neither of them gave more than a passing thought to the fact they were sharing a bed for the first time. As Red moved closer to her, attempting to share his body warmth with her, he faintly heard a grandfather clock chiming midnight in another room.

'Well, that was certainly an interesting day'.

'Yeah….' Liz exhaled using the last of her conscious thought.

Red gently put his arm around her and within minutes the two of them were fast asleep.


	2. Less than Zero

Chapter 2: Less than Zero

As they were lying down by the fire, Liz was suddenly wide awake. She was still so tired but she'd woken up because of her knee hurting like crazy. She was also still shivering and she felt Red doing the same thing next to her.

She actually liked that she was awake so she could savour this moment. She hated to admit it but she loved the fact that Red was curled up next to her, his arm wrapped around her in an attempt to get warm. She felt his breath on her temple and even though it was warm and felt great, it also gave her goose bumps.

She shivered again and felt Red's arm tighten around her. From his breathing she could tell that he was fast asleep and even though she really wanted to stay awake a little bit longer, she fell back to sleep again….

Liz woke up the second time from feeling cold and when she opened her eyes she saw that the fire had almost died. She had pushed away the blanket to get up to put some more logs on the fire when she saw it. Her eyes caught a glimpse of some wood, but not the kind you'd put on the fire.

She saw a huge bulge in Red's pants and the sight of it made her flush. Oh my god, it looks so….big, Liz thought. She caught herself staring and quickly looked away. As she got up, hopping on one leg, she heard Red stir and he asked where she was going.

She replied, "Just putting some more wood, er, logs on the fire". Liz had her back towards Red and she closed her eyes, cursing at herself. Nice one Liz, she thought. Red chuckled softly at her words and covered himself with the blanket.

Liz came back to bed and had trouble keeping a straight face as she lay back down next to Red. "Did you get any sleep?" Red asked. "Yeah, I think I slept for a while. Not sure how long though" Liz answered. "My knee is killing me. It's throbbing and aching so badly".

"Let me have a look" Red said as he carefully took her leg and put it over his.

He rolled up her trouser leg above her knee and took a closer look.

"Oh, this really doesn't look good. It's very swollen" Red ascertained. "Hold on" he said as he got up and walked over to the kitchen where he grabbed a clean cloth. He went to the door, opened it and grabbed a few icicles that were hanging from the porch's roof.

He broke them into a few pieces and wrapped them in the cloth. He then smashed the cloth against the worktop in the kitchen, so the ice was smashed into small pieces.

"Ok, this will do. Sorry, but this will be very cold" Red said as he carefully placed the cloth on her injured knee.

"God!" Liz yelped but soon she felt the heavy throbbing fade and she was grateful for Red's inventiveness. Red had started to slowly caress the area just around her knee and it was a lovely feeling. She couldn't believe how sweet and gentle Red was being and got a bit tearful.

Red kept stroking and softly massaging her leg and she closed her eyes in quiet enjoyment. A soft moan slipped from her lips and Red immediately stopped what he was doing. "I am so sorry…. did I hurt you?" he asked sweetly.

"Eh, just a little…but it's ok" Liz said.

She hated to lie to him and let him think that he'd hurt her, but she didn't want him to know that the moan he heard was from pleasure, not pain. "Maybe it's too early to be rubbing your leg, it's too sensitive, I'm sorry", Red said as he carefully put her leg down.

Dammit, Liz thought, I shouldn't have said that he hurt me; I loved the feeling of his hands on me.

"Just stay here and let the ice do its job", Red said, giving her a smile as he got up. "I'll go make myself useful and fix us some breakfast".

He walked over to the kitchen area and started to give the cupboards an inspection to see what he could prepare for them. Thinking about breakfast suddenly made Liz's stomach rumble. They hadn't had a proper meal for well over 12 hours except for some beans the night before so she felt famished.

Red decided on making pancakes. He found some long-life milk and pancake mix and after finding all the supplies he needed, he started to work his magic. Liz probably has no idea that I can actually cook, Red thought to himself with a smile.

He mixed the milk with the pancake mix and made a few perfect, golden pancakes. He plated them, three for Liz and three for himself, and made his way back to where Liz was still sitting near the fire. He went back to get some sugar and syrup that he had found and went to sit with Liz to enjoy their breakfast.

Liz couldn't help but be amazed at the pancakes she had in front of her. She wasn't a big fan of pancakes, but didn't have the heart to tell Red. Tom always made them for her, but she never really enjoyed eating them. These looked delicious however and they smelled so good.

As she took her first bite, Red was watching her every move. He knew he was a good cook and was delighted to be able to show Liz. To be fair, these were only pancakes, but very good ones at that. And he was sure that he would be able to show more of his skills later on.

"Oh-my-god!" Liz said, "These are the best pancakes I have ever had!".

Red beamed at her. "I am glad you like them", he chuckled, before they ate the rest in silence.

Liz ate all three of them in record time and she felt so much better afterwards. She gave Red a big smile, "Thank you so much for that, they were heavenly".

"You are very welcome", Red said while giving her a playful wink. He was getting up, holding the plates, "now, I really want to go out and see if I can find a phone signal in the area".

He put the plates in the sink and looked outside, holding the curtain. "Hmm, I really need some more clothes before going out". He started to go through the closet in the bedroom, where he only had a quick look yesterday, while looking for blankets and pillows.

He was lucky, because he found a nice, warm sweater and a thick coat, a woollen hat and some gloves. "Ok, this should do".

He started to put on everything he found and went looking for his phone. Liz had to giggle at the way Red looked and she would have given anything to be able to take a picture of him. He looked ridiculous with all those layers of clothes on. Although, he looked kind of cute as well to be honest, she thought…

"So, I will see how far I'll get in this weather. If we're lucky I'll find a signal nearby", Red said while putting some boots on. "You just stay here, sit tight and I'll be back as soon as I can, ok?".

Liz nodded, "Just be careful out there, I don't want to end up alone in this cabin and I can't come looking for you", she said in a worried tone. Red turned around and walked towards her, "Don't you worry sweetheart, I won't go far…".

He had to suppress the urge to go to her and hold her. To hold her head between his hands and look her deep in the eye and tell her that everything was going to be ok. To lean in to kiss her gently on her beautiful lips… Stop it! Red told himself; this is not the time or the place to be thinking things like that. He turned and went for the door. "Bye", he said, without looking back.

Opening the door caused a cold wind to sweep through the cabin and Liz shivered involuntarily. Once Red was outside, he pulled the door closed and looked around. All he could see was trees and white.

He tried to figure out which way to go first, but since he had no idea, he went left and just hoped for the best. The moment he took a step off the porch of the cabin, he was knee-deep in the snow. Damn, this was going to be hard to get through he thought.

As he ploughed his way through the snow he was already breathing heavily after taking only about fifteen steps. It was also a lot colder than he had anticipated and even though he was covered in several layers he could feel the cold creeping in. He looked back and saw that he was still quite close to the cabin.

He took out his phone, hoping that he was lucky but unfortunately there was no signal. He kept going and kept checking his phone every now and then but he found no signal. He decided to go back so he could walk in the other direction, but when he got near the cabin he was already exhausted.

He didn't want to give up though, so he gathered his strength and energy and walked the other way, to the right of the cabin.

After being outside for over an hour and not being able to find any signal he decided to go back. He couldn't feel his fingers and toes anymore and it got harder and harder to breathe.

The closer he got to the cabin, the more it dawned on him that he and Liz were in quite a situation. No one knew where they were and they had no way of contacting anybody. They had plenty of food so they could stick it out for a while, but he wasn't sure what to do at this point.

The moment he stepped back into the cabin he could hear Liz let out a sigh of relief. "How did it go?" she asked, "I got really worried, you were gone for so long".

Red started taking off his cold, wet clothes "Well, no luck on the signal I'm afraid. I went both ways but couldn't find anything. Can you please throw some more logs on the fire, I am freezing", Red said while taking off the last of his wet clothes and going for his dry ones.

He quickly went to sit down by the fire, in an attempt to warm up. He started flexing his fingers and toes, hoping to get the blood flowing.

He started blowing warm air in his hands.

Liz took his hands between hers "Here, let me. I have warm hands". Red was taken by surprise but didn't complain.

Her hands felt warm and soft and Red felt his whole body respond and warm up immediately. She gently rubbed his hands until she felt them warm up under her touch. "There you go", she said as she released his hands and gave Red a shy smile.

"Thank you, that's much better", Red returned a smile, "but I just realised that I should have gotten some more logs from the shed; our pile here is shrinking quickly".

He got up and proceeded to put on his sweater, jacket and boots again. "I think I'll go and chop some more wood while I'm at it as it looks like we're going to be stuck here for a while".

"I wish there was something I could do", Liz said. "I hate the fact that I'm just sitting here being useless and you're having to do everything".

"You just get that knee better first before you start doing things around here. I'll be fine sweetheart, don't worry" Red assured her.

He went outside to the side of the cabin to get some more logs to put on the pile inside. After doing that he went out again and soon found the axe he was looking for.

In the shed he found big pieces of wood that were there, ready to be hacked into smaller pieces. He saw a wheelbarrow and loaded a few pieces of wood into it and went to the chopping block he'd seen earlier.

It took him a few tries before he got the hang of it but after that he was on a roll.

After a short silence Liz started to hear chopping sounds and carefully got to her feet. Curiosity had gotten the better of her and she just had to see Red handling an axe.

She smiled to herself at the mental image she got and slowly made her way to the kitchen window. She carefully pushed the curtain aside and peeked out.

She saw Red in full action mode. Holding the axe with a tight grip and chopping the wood into pieces like a pro. He then picked up the smaller pieces, threw them in the wheelbarrow and got a big piece to put on the chopping block again. She watched him repeat this process a few times.

She realised she was getting all hot and flushed just watching him. Especially once she noticed how he had gotten sweaty from this hard labour because of the many layers of clothes he was wearing.

Red was wiping his forehead with his sleeve and had to take a break for a second. Man, it was freezing outside and yet he was sweating like crazy. Just as he picked up the axe to start chopping the last few blocks of wood he saw the curtain move.

What was that? Was Liz watching him? He decided not to pay attention to it and to finish his work so he could go back inside as quickly as possible.

By the time Red came back inside it was already getting dark again. He decided to take a shower after all the sweating he had done. As he went to the small bathroom and started to take his clothes off, he wondered whether he should ask Liz about watching him.

Why would she do that? Or did he see something that wasn't there? Did he subconsciously want her to watch him? He decided against asking her and stepped into the welcome, warm spray.

Red wanted to prepare a nice dinner but he was too tired after the busy day he had. "I hope you don't mind having some canned food again? I am just too exhausted to prepare something good right now", Red asked Liz. "Sure, no problem! Anything will do", Liz said with a smile.

After making them a quick dinner, they were sitting in bed, Liz listening to the many stories Red had to tell. Every story seemed to be straight out of a fiction novel, one story stranger than the other. He told her about his adventures in all kinds of countries around the world whilst being the "Concierge of Crime". Liz loved every second of it and was enjoying spending time with Red without being on the job.

After a while they laid down as Red continued to talk. Without even thinking about it, they snuggled close to each other as Red finished up his last story. "Well, that's it for now, the rest of my stories will have to wait" Red whispered in Liz's ear.

He couldn't believe she was snuggled up in his arms and not protesting about it. He closed his eyes and could feel himself drift off almost immediately.

Liz felt Red's arms around her and heard him whisper in her ear. Mmmm, she could lie like this forever, she thought to herself. "Goodnight Red", she said.

"Goodnight darling". They dropped off to sleep just before midnight again, the grandfather clock chiming away reassuringly.


	3. Slow Burn

Chapter 3: Slow Burn

Liz yawned and stretched out her legs and arms tentatively. Her knee was still pretty sore but the swelling had started to go down now, thanks to Red's insistence on icing it often. As she reached her arms out to the side, she slowly realised that Red had rolled away from her in the night and was out of reach. She turned towards him and gently put her arm on his side, where the blanket had fallen away and his t-shirt had ridden up.

'Hey, sleepy-head, rise and shine', Liz cooed gently to him and was instantly rewarded with him jumping even further away from her and yelping.

'What the hell was that, Red?', Liz laughingly asked him.

'Er, nothing, Lizzy, you just surprised me a little….'

'Wait. Are you ticklish?'

'What? Don't be ridiculous! You honestly think that someone trained to withstand torture, who has in fact been tortured many times, who has faced death so often I've lost count…..'. Red didn't get a chance to say more as Liz launched herself across the mattress and aimed straight for his side where her first touch had proved so successful at eliciting a yelp from him.

'Noooooo…' Red squealed before descending into a fit of giggles as Liz ran her hands up under his t-shirt, trying for his armpits.

'Please Lizzy, this isn't funny….' Red gasped out

'Then why are you laughing so much, hmm?'

Liz was now half sprawled on top of him and was trying to see if he was ticklish at the back of his neck, like she was.

'Lizzy…..ahhhhh…..stop… Hee hee hee….., oh god'

Liz reluctantly pulled away from him, grinning from ear to ear.

'Well, that was fun, wasn't it, Mr Chuckles?'

'Dear god, no', Red huffed out. 'And let me assure you, were it not for your knee, I would most definitely be returning the favour right now'. Red scowled at her menacingly.

'Wow, that is a scary glower I'm getting. I guess Number Four doesn't want it to be known he's actually a big, ticklish teddy bear really…..'. As she was saying this, Liz once more grabbed his sides and started running her fingers towards his back.

'Right. That's it!' Red jumped off the mattress. 'Much as this is absolutely hellish, I'm desperate for the bathroom. And let me just say, Elizabeth, that I will now be spending most of today concocting an extremely intricate and ingenious plan for my revenge'. With that Red disappeared from the room, heading towards the back of the cabin.

As she lay there, quietly laughing to herself, Liz heard the grandfather clock chime away from the small hallway towards the bedroom. It sounded odd to her ears. She thought it had probably just sounded eight o'clock but wasn't sure as the chimes had kind of petered out towards the end.

'Hey, Red, I think the clock's dying' she said to him as he re-entered the room.

'Yes, I heard that. Hmm, maybe I'll have a look at it later. I love fixing things. And, even if I say so myself, I'm rather a dab hand at it', he smiled at her smugly.

'Oh, God, take that smug grin off your face, Red. I know your weak spots now. And, besides, I'm absolutely starving. How's about you make me something yummy for breakfast?'

'Of course, sweetheart. Let me just fetch you a fresh ice-pack for your knee first'.

Red popped outside and came back in with more icicles for Liz's knee, wrapped in a scarf. 'Oh my, it is absolutely perishing out there. Remind me not to go out there in my bare feet next time', Red said as he dramatically shivered, making Liz laugh. Having handed them to her he then disappeared into the bedroom to throw on some pants and a shirt before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast for them both.

Liz lay back on the mattress, with the ice slowly working its magic on her knee. As she lay there, she couldn't help but once more laugh to herself about Red's ticklishness. Oh, this was gonna be fun…..

Red entered the kitchen and immediately had to stop and lean against the wall. Liz tickling him had been one of the worst tortures he had ever endured. He had wanted just to grab her arms, pull her in close and kiss her till they both near passed out. He took a deep breath and headed for the cupboard, to see what 'delights' awaited them this morning.

'Okay, today I have made a veritable smorgasbord of culinary excellence', Red declared upon returning to the front room. 'We have Franks 'n' Beans, cheese straws and some canned raspberries'.

'Oh my god…. I thought I was hungry but, er, maybe not so much', Liz laughed

'Nonsense, you need your strength in this cold. Chow down, Lizzy'.

Once they had finished their breakfast, Red took the plates back to the kitchen.

'I've found some ingredients to make bread, Lizzy. I'm just going to mix it up now and pop it in the oven and then I'll have a look at that clock'.

'Okay, Red. Er, before you do that, could you possibly help me to the bathroom? I mean, I can get there but I really wanna take a shower and wouldn't mind some help getting in the tub, if that's okay?'

'Of course', Red said as he came back in the room. 'Here, up you get', he lifted her up gently and put one of her arms around his shoulders. They limped slowly to the bathroom and Red got the water running just right for her.

'Okay, let me just lift you in at the far end of the tub and then once I'm out the room you can toss your clothes on the floor. I'm going to leave the door open though, okay? I want to hear you if you should fall'.

'That's fine, Red. Thank you', Liz smiled at him shyly as he disappeared out the door, leaving it half-open.

Red got back to the kitchen and once more leant against the wall. 'Oh, today is going to be a nightmare', he sighed to himself before starting to find all the flour and other ingredients he might need for bread.

He had just gotten what he thought should be rather an excellent loaf of bread in the oven when he heard Liz calling from the bathroom. He hurried there at once, terrified she had fallen.

'Lizzy, are you okay…..?'

She was still in the shower, completely naked. Thankfully the glass front was so steamed over that she was just a blur to him.

'I'm fine, Red. I just said; can you hand me a towel and help me out?'

'Ah, sorry, I didn't catch what you said from the kitchen…..' Red couldn't stop blushing and turned away to grab a towel from the shelf. 'Here you go', he said as he blindly held his arm towards her whilst still facing away.

'Thank you, Red. Now, could you help me out maybe?'

He turned once more to see her wrapped snugly in the bath towel. Reaching in he scooped her out of the tub and placed her gently on the bath mat.

'Bedroom?', Liz asked

Red opened his mouth and raised an eyebrow.

'So I can get dressed…. That's where my clothes are'.

'Yes, yes, of course. Right. Yes. Let me help you'. He once more wrapped his arm under her shoulder and within ten strides he was placing her on the bed. 'Okay, here are the last of your clean clothes. I guess I'll work out a way of washing all our laundry later….. I, er, I should go tidy up after my bread making'.

Red scuttled out the door and back to his old friend, the kitchen wall. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the cold plaster. Today was not going well at all.

Having cleaned up the kitchen and washed all the dishes he'd used he went back to the bedroom only to find Liz wasn't there. He hastened into the front room and found her sprawled on the couch, flicking through a crossword puzzle book she'd found.

'Man, these are hard. I've no idea how you can solve them'.

'Ah, well, there are a lot of things you have to learn about crosswords before you can do them easily. There are hidden codes, anagrams, all kinds of fun', Red smiled at her. 'I can teach you some if you like?'

'Sure, that'd be great. Don't you want to have a look at that clock though? It's sounding even weirder now'.

'Good point'. Red headed off towards the clock and soon ascertained that moving it into the front room was going to be very difficult on his own. He came back into the front room and grabbed a large cushion off the sofa before heading back towards the clock. Once there he placed the cushion on the floor and slowly eased the clock down until one end of it was resting on the cushion. He then lifted the other end and dragged the whole thing back towards the fireplace.

'Right, that's the easy part. Now I'm gonna head out to the shed to see if there are actually any tools in this place. Which, in retrospect, I probably should have done first…..', Red winked at Liz.

'Yeah, that might've been an idea', Liz laughed back at him. He was so good at playing the fool. She was really enjoying seeing this side of Red. Being trapped in this cabin wasn't at all bad. In fact, it was actually proving to be pretty fun. Although the diet of canned food left a lot to be desired.

'Lizzy, it turns out I am still a genius after all', Red called out as he re-entered the cabin from the shed at the side of it. 'Not only did I find a splendid tool collection in one of the cupboards out there but…. Wait for it….. Alcohol!' He held out a bottle of what looked like bourbon and two bottles of white wine. 'And there's plenty more where that came from', he beamed.

'I swear that's the biggest smile I've ever seen on your face', Liz said to him as he set the bourbon down and headed off to place the wine in the fridge.

'Can you blame me? Quite apart from the fact we've been living on beans and what, for all intents and purposes, is meat akin to dog food, for the last two days…. I can't remember the last time I went this long without a drink. Apart from when I've been incarcerated, of course'.

'Red, it's been two days'.

'Exactly! What a nightmare. Now, let's see about this toolbox'. Red sat down next to the clock and opened it up. Having had a cursory glance inside he quickly ascertained that it wouldn't be too hard to fix it up. He grabbed a few tools, rolled up his sleeves and set to work.

As Liz watched him carefully dismantling, cleaning, coaxing and reattaching various parts of the clock, she was reminded of when he had fixed the music box for her. Watching him use his hands so gently and carefully, doing such a delicate task, made her feel tearful. He had gone to such lengths and spent so much time fixing that music box for her. It would've been so easy for him to have just gotten someone else to fix it but he had wanted to do it for her personally. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched him start to put the clock back together.

'Okay, I think that should do it. Now, to get this monster back in place', Red smiled up at her. 'Hey, are you all right, Lizzy?', Red asked, having seen the tears in her eyes.

'Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just remembering something', she smiled back at him reassuringly.

'Okay. Well, I'm here if you did wanna share anything, sweetheart. Please remember that. You don't have to keep your feelings to yourself'. With that he lifted the clock back up and dragged it back into the hallway, lifting it up from the cushion and repositioning it where he had found it.

'Right, that's that. I'm gonna go chop some more wood I think. We've got a day's worth left in the shed but seeing as it's not snowing right now, this would seem a good time to get some more. I won't be long. You gonna be okay whilst I'm out?'

'Yeah, I'm fine, thanks. I'll just puzzle some more over these crosswords', Liz replied whilst tucking herself back up on the couch.

Red popped into the bedroom briefly and put on his bulky jacket and scarf, stopped by the door to pull on his boots and disappeared out into the snow once more.

As Liz sat there thinking about the music box again and all the sweet ways Red had been looking after her since they got here, she determined to do something nice for him tonight. Since cooking was the only thing she could think of, despite her loathing for it, she hopped to the kitchen to see if there was something she could throw together for their dinner that wasn't just from a can. It didn't take her long to work out that there really wasn't much that could be done in terms of their dinner. More canned food seemed to be their only option. However, she thought, as she smelt the bread in the oven, maybe there was something she could bake. She poured through the cupboards and managed to find a readymade cake mix which just needed water. Couldn't be too difficult, right? She quickly followed the instructions and within a few minutes it was sitting in the oven. The bread had looked ready so she took that out as she was putting the cake in.

Okay, now what, she thought. Quickly, she remembered the wine in the fridge. Excellent idea, Liz! She opened up the door and poured herself a generous glass, before returning to the couch.

Half an hour later, Red returned from the outside. 'Okay, that's a whole new pile of logs sitting in the shed…. Oh, no, the bread….', Red blurted out before hurriedly starting to pull his boots off.

'It's okay, Red, I've taken it out already. It looks perfect'. Liz did not want him going back into the kitchen right now. Her cake was going to be a surprise.

'Oh, thank you sweetheart. I really don't know where my head's at today. Maybe I should just go check it to be sure'.

'No, no, honestly, it's fine. Why don't you go have a shower and warm up and I'll pour you some wine?'

'Ah, yes, I can see you've already started on a bottle. Without waiting for me? Tut, tut, Lizzy…'. He winked at her whilst heading to the shower, desperate to be able to feel his hands and feet again.

Whilst Red was in the shower Liz returned to the kitchen and quickly checked on the cake. It looked and smelled great so far. She poured herself another large glass of wine and one for Red also. Then sliced some bread for them both before finding some of that onion relish to put on it. Bit unorthodox, she thought to herself but it wasn't like they could afford to be fussy.

She once more hobbled back to the couch and awaited Red's return.

'Ah, sweetheart, you got me some wine. And a very full glass too. What is this; half the bottle?'

'Well, maybe. I figured you deserved it having worked so hard today'.

'Thank you, dear. Rarely have I anticipated a glass of wine', he sipped a little, 'so desperately….. Oh, my, that is absolutely foul! God, I'm not sure I can even swallow it!'

Liz laughed at him. 'Don't be so dramatic, Red. What were you expecting out here in the wilderness; Chateauneuf de Pape?"

'Well, no…. But I was hoping for a few more notches above lighter fluid and vinegar if I'm honest. Ah, well, never mind. Hopefully the bourbon will be more palatable'.

Liz leant towards him and they clinked glasses. 'Here's to being lost in the wilderness and drinking vinegar'.

Red laughed at her, 'Yes, indeed. We are actually very lucky. I promise I won't complain any more about the wine'. He took a second sip and winced.

Liz gave him a questioning look.

'See, not a word' he mumbled out whilst trying to swallow it without it touching too many of his taste buds.

'Okay, let's have a look at those crosswords you've been staring at', Red said as he shuffled closer towards her on the couch.

They sat there happily for over an hour as Red tried to explain to an increasingly tipsy and giggly Liz how one should go about approaching a crossword puzzle. At first Liz was picking it up quite easily but before too long, she was losing the ability to follow what he was saying.

'Elizabeth, are you drunk?', Red asked her, raising an eyebrow.

'Yeah…, getting there. I guess we're not eating much at the moment. And this wine is kinda strong'.

'Well, yes, it does have that in its favour I suppose', Red replied, offering his glass a semi-reproachful look.

'I'm gonna go get the bourbon', Liz said, jolting to her feet. Before she knew it, she was face down on the mattress, her knee having given way.

'Ow'

'Lizzy, for goodness' sake', Red said whilst leaning down to help her up. 'Are you all right?'

Liz couldn't stop giggling long enough to answer so Red decided she was just fine.

'Well, I guess I'll go get the bourbon then, sweetheart. But I don't suggest you have any'.

Red disappeared into the kitchen, only to return a minute later carrying what looked like a black brick.

'What's that you got there, Reddy…', Liz slurred at him

'I have no idea. You sure you don't know?'

'Ohmygod, the cake! I made you a cake!', Liz suddenly blurted out. 'Oh, shit. I was trying to do something useful'. Liz sat on the couch, pouting and almost looked like she might burst into tears.

'This was a cake? Hmm, well, I'm afraid to say it's not much use now. Well, to be fair, we could use it as a doorstop I suppose. Or a bookend?'

'Red, stop, it's not funny. I wanted to do something nice for you. You've been so sweet and lovely since we got here and I've just been sitting here, being useless. And now I can't even do one nice thing for you without messing it up. Dammit. I can't believe we couldn't smell that it was burning. I guess the smell of the fire masked it….', Liz sniffed a little and looked even more tearful.

'Lizzy, sweetheart, it's fine. And it's the thought that counts. And it was a very sweet thought indeed'. He sat next to her on the couch and pulled her into his arms. 'Come on now, let's go to bed. It's been a crazy day and I'm exhausted'. He planted a brief kiss to her temple and then disappeared into the bedroom to fetch their sleep clothes.

Once they had both changed and visited the bathroom one last time, they curled up together by the fire once more, each feeling very sleepy with the effects of the wine taking their toll. Just as Red was about to drop off, he heard the grandfather clock chime midnight.

'Good job, Red. Maybe you are a genius…..' Liz quietly muttered, just as she dropped off to sleep.

Red smiled to himself and pulled her closer to him, resting his face in the hair at the back of her head. He had made it through today, despite everything that fate had conspired to throw at him. Resisting Lizzy when she was so close all the time and being so friendly and open to him was proving to be very difficult. However, right now he just felt grateful to be able to lie here with her in his arms as he slowly dozed off…..


	4. White Palace

Chapter 4: White Palace

After having a quick breakfast with Red's home made bread and some marmalade, Red decided it was time to do some washing.

"Are all your dirty clothes in this pile?", Red asked Liz as he grabbed the items off the bedroom floor.

"Yes, everything's there. Do you need a hand?"

"No, no, I'll be fine. If you could just open the door for me so I can go straight to the shed? I saw a sink in there, so I'll do the washing there and hang them to dry."

Liz got up and hobbled to the door. Her knee was much better but she was still afraid to put too much weight on it. She opened it and held it for Red to go through it. "Let me know if there's something I can do", she said.

"Don't think there is anything, sweetheart, just make yourself comfortable and wait for my return" he said with a warm smile.

Red walked to the side of the cabin and opened the door of the shed with his elbow. It didn't give so he put some more weight into it. Suddenly the door swung open and he stumbled inside, almost tripping over some clothes that fell from the pile he was holding. "Dammit!" he said, but couldn't help but laugh about it.

He threw the pile on the floor next to the sink and turned on the warm water tap.

While the sink was filling with water he went looking for detergent. He found a jug in one of the cupboards and poured some in the water.

He started to wash the items by hand, taking piece by piece from the pile, washing them and putting them aside to be rinsed later.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed the next item on the pile of clothes.

It was a red lace thong. He picked it up and just stared at it. His mouth went dry at the thought of Liz actually wearing it. He started to picture her in his mind and he could feel his body react to that image.

He shook his head in an attempt to shake the image and quickly washed the thong and put it aside. He came across another pair of panties but they were nothing like the red thong.

After he was done with the rinsing, he placed the clothes over a few strings that hung from one side of the shed to the other. He took a step back to check his work and when he was satisfied that it was all in place, he went back into the cabin.

"Ok, all done. It probably won't dry very fast, but at least we will have some clean clothes again soon", Red said with a satisfied smile.

"That's great!" Liz beamed, "I can't believe all the work you're doing around here. I don't know what I would've done if I'd been stranded here on my own".

"Well, you would never be stranded anywhere on your own, cause I am always around", Red laughed, "and if I'm not around, I certainly know where you are at all times".

There was a time when Liz would have shuddered at the thought of Red being so present in her life. But she had to admit that she actually liked having him around. He was right; as long as he was there he would protect her and let nothing happen to her.

She smiled up at him, "I've been practising the crosswords while you were away. It seems to get easier with each puzzle".

"That's great. I knew you would pick it up quickly. And it's a nice pastime".

"How is your knee doing by the way? Let me have a look", Red said as he sat on the couch next to Liz, not waiting for her answer.

He carefully placed her leg over his knees and took a closer look. "The swelling is almost gone, that's good."

Liz sat, leaning back with her nose in her latest crossword. She barely noticed what was going on until she felt Red's hands starting to massage the area around her knee. God that's good, she thought while closing her eyes for a moment.

"I hope it's not too painful?" Red asked carefully. He recalled the moment that he hurt her all too well and didn't want that to happen again.

Liz could hear the strain in his voice and felt terrible. She knew he still felt guilty about hurting her, when in fact he hadn't hurt her at all.

"No, it's fine. It's feels really good actually", she told him; giving him a shy look over her book but Red wasn't paying attention to her face.

He was focused on the task at hand and Liz took this moment to study him, peeking over her puzzle book.

She loved the way he could be so focused on things and she wondered if he ever did a crash course on massage because his hands were doing an amazing job.

After a while Red looked up and she quickly stared at her puzzle again, acting like she was thinking hard about one of the questions.

"What do you say I show you how to make a nice meal? As far as that's possible with the ingredients at hand" Red inquired with a smile on his face.

"That sounds like a plan. What do you want to make?"

"I was thinking about pasta, with a nice sauce of some kind. I'll need to check what's there", Red said, "but I think I saw some canned tomatoes".

"Sounds great! We can get started on that in a bit but I want to finish this puzzle first. Can you help me with that?"

"Of course I can. Let me see", Red said as Liz sat up straight and moved in closer.

They sat there side by side trying to solve the puzzle.

Red couldn't help but feel very content. He was worried at first when they got stranded here about how things would be between them but it all seemed to work out perfectly and they were getting along much better than he had anticipated.

They were having such a good time that after they finished the crossword, they went on to the next. In the meantime Red had fetched them a bottle of wine and they were just sitting there, drinking and solving puzzles.

Red would let Liz try to solve it, but occasionally she would ask for his help.

"Oh, come on Lizzy, you really don't know the answer to that?" Red said teasingly. Liz answered him with an elbow between his ribs "Stop mocking me and help me out, you big know-it-all". They laughed at their own silliness and moved on to the next question.

"Ok, I think it's time to start making dinner. I'm quite hungry to be honest and we really need to eat something if we're going to keep drinking like this", Red laughed.

"Ha, you might be right about that", Liz chuckled, already feeling a bit woozy.

They walked into the kitchen area where Liz took a seat at the table, wine glass still in hand. Red looked around and saw an apron hanging from a hook and put it on. "This will make me look more professional" he winked at Liz.

Liz giggled, "You look very smart there master chef. I promise I will pay attention to your class!" "Or at least I'll try", she muttered under her breath.

"Alright, let's see what we've got here. Canned tomato sauce, some oregano, basil, garlic and olive oil…I think that will do". After preparing everything Red turned to Liz, who was still drinking at the table.

"We start by heating the oil", Red began, "and then we add the basil, garlic and oregano for only about a minute before adding the sauce. We give that a good stir and we let that simmer for about 10 minutes"

"We also put a pot with water on, to boil the pasta later".

Liz heard Red talk but wasn't paying attention to the cooking class anymore.

She watched him move, watched his hands cut the ingredients, watched him prepare the best meal possible with the very few things available as her mind drifted off to yesterday.

She couldn't help but think back to when she tickled him. The lovely sounds that he made, sounds she'd never heard before. The dangerous criminal that became so vulnerable by being tickled.

She got up and slowly made her way towards Red, who was focused on the stove.

"It smells lovely", Liz said while getting closer. Red looked up and saw her approach. "Yes, not bad for a vegetable tomato sauce", he smiled.

Liz came even closer and Red saw a wicked smile on her face. "What's going on? What are you doing?" he asked as Liz extended her arms towards Red's sides.

"You look like you need to be….. Tickled!" Liz squealed and went for his flanks.

"Oh god no, Lizzy, please, not again!" Red pleaded and tried to dive away.

While trying to slip past Liz, his shoulder touched hers, pushing her off balance as she was still not steady on her feet.

Red saw it happen and just as she was about to fall over; he caught her in his arms. "Close call", Red whispered, while staring into Liz's eyes.

Liz, feeling fuzzy and confident because of the alcohol, took a hold of Red's face and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

The kiss only lasted for mere seconds, but to Liz it seemed forever. Wow, she thought, this is so much better than I'd ever imagined.

Red was overwhelmed by Liz's action and it took him a second to realise what was going on. Her lips felt amazing and he couldn't believe this was happening.

But he thought it was the alcohol talking, so he broke the kiss without hesitation.

"Liz, sweetheart, we shouldn't…" Red started sweetly, when Liz interrupted him, "I was just following instructions", pointing at his apron.

She gave him a shy smile as Red looked down and read his apron upside down. 'Kiss the Chef' it said. He started blushing. "Ehm, thank you?" he muttered. They looked at each other, still standing in each other's arms.

Suddenly their mouths were kissing again. Their lips wanting, begging for more. Red slowly licked her lower lip and Liz opened her mouth slightly, to grant his tongue access.

Their tongues found each other and started dancing and exploring. Red's hands went up in Liz's hair, tangling and tugging and Liz's hands were on Red's back, moving up to his neck.

They kissed until they were both desperate for air. Red rested his forehead against Liz's, breathing heavily. They were both lost for words and not sure how to react to what just happened.

They stared at each other until Red heard the water boil. "I need to put the pasta in the water" Red said; glad that there was a distraction, something he could do to take him away from this moment.

"Right" Liz went to sit at the table again, confused about what just happened.

They had their dinner at the table instead of in bed, accompanied by another bottle of wine. "This is lovely Red, very nice after all the canned food" Liz exclaimed after they'd both finished.

"Yes it is. And as you saw, it was very easy to make".

Liz didn't dare to tell him that she actually barely paid attention when he was explaining the cooking to her so she deflected "I found a deck of cards so I thought maybe we can play a game later?"

After cleaning up and throwing more logs on the fire, they went to sit on the floor at the coffee table. "Ok, let's play some poker" Red said, shuffling the cards.

"Er, I'm not sure I am able to play poker right now" Liz giggled, "I had too much wine I'm afraid".

Red shook his head, "tut tut tut, Lizzy", acting like he was scolding her but the twinkle in his eyes gave away that he didn't mean it at all.

"Well, let's play some Snap then?" he said while dealing the cards. "You know that game right? And it is very easy"

"Yes, Snap I can manage" Liz laughed as she threw her first card on the table.

They had lots of fun playing, as they were constantly slapping each other's hands while going for the cards. Of course Red won most of the time, as Liz was too slow. She tried to steal some of the cards a couple of times, which made Red laugh uncontrollably.

The whole kissing incident was forgotten, until it was time to go to sleep.

Liz was already in bed when Red came out of the bathroom and joined her.

He normally would wrap an arm around her or she would crawl into his arms but tonight was different and they both felt it. Liz was quite intoxicated and quickly fell asleep on her side, facing away from Red.

Red just lay there on his back, listening to the clock ticking and staring at the ceiling. He knew things had changed between them, but wasn't sure what the next step would be.

After what seemed like hours, he fell into a restless sleep.


	5. Sex, Lies and Poker

Chapter 5: Sex, Lies and Poker

Liz woke up slowly the next morning, the fuzziness in her head reminding her just how much they had drunk the night before. Her first conscious thought was that she felt cold. She glanced at the fire and saw that it was still burning away nicely, seeing as they'd stocked it up with plenty of logs before they fell asleep. Then she realised why she felt cold. Red wasn't tucked up next to her, let alone holding her. She missed his body heat. She turned slowly towards him and saw he was a foot or so away, facing her but still fast asleep. She loved how boyish he looked when he was sleeping. So peaceful. Before she had given it more than a second's thought she reached out and gently stroked his cheek and sideburn. His skin was so smooth and his sideburn much softer than she'd imagined. As she was lost in wonder gazing at him she noticed his eyes slowly blink open, greeting her fondly with their beautiful green warmth.

'Good morning, Lizzy' he rumbled, his voice always so gravelly and deep first thing.

'Good morning, Red' she smiled back at him.

Red pulled one of his hands out from under the blanket and reached up to take hold of her hand that was still on his cheek. 'Are you all right, sweetheart; you feel a little cold?'

'Yeah, I am a little. Guess I'm missing your warmth'.

'Well, that can be easily remedied', he said as he shuffled closer and gathered her in his arms.

'Mmm, that's much better', Liz sighed as she nestled against his chest.

They lay like that for a few minutes, each enjoying the proximity of the other until Liz decided that it was now or never. Last night's kiss had ignited something in her that had long been aching to be acknowledged. She pulled back slightly, fastened her hands on his cheeks and pulled him towards her for a kiss.

'Sweetheart, are you…..', but Red couldn't finish that sentence as Liz confidently attached her lips to his. Red moaned and reciprocated the kiss immediately. They both took their time exploring each other's mouth with their tongues, each softly moaning and whimpering a little as the kiss got more and more passionate.

'Yes, Red, I am sure', Liz said as she pulled away slightly. 'Being here with you for the last few days has made me realise something'.

'And what's that?'

'I want you'

Liz leant back in and started kissing Red once more, her hands now moving downwards to the bottom of his t-shirt and starting to stroke the skin of his exposed belly and sides.

'Please God, Lizzy, no more tickling', Red huffed out in a panicked tone.

'Not right now, no. Maybe later', Liz said as she tugged his t-shirt up and with Red's help, it was pulled off over his head. Her hands immediately went to his perfect golden chest hair, stroking and running her hands through it enthusiastically. 'Mmm, I just knew this would be super soft', Liz said as she leant down slightly and kissed him over his heart.

'Oh, God, Lizzy….., that feels so good', Red managed to say just before Liz pushed him onto his back and straddled him. She then leant back down and kissed him again. Red reached up and ran his hands up and down her arms as they were pinned either side of his head. Damn, she was so beautiful, he thought to himself and smiled.

Liz sat back up and reached for the bottom of her tank. It was up and over her head in seconds and as she wasn't wearing a bra, Red had his first glimpse of her perfect breasts. He wanted to say something but once he'd opened his mouth, he couldn't think of a single damn thing. Liz grabbed his hands and held them on her breasts as she leant back down for another kiss, hungrily starting to grind her core into his lap.

'Oh Lizzy….. You are a minx', Red said as he sat up, forcing Liz to sit up also. She manoeuvred her legs until they were sitting facing each other, her ankles crossed behind him.

'Okay, this is a most wonderful surprise, but I need you to be absolutely sure you want this before we continue', Red said, staring intently into her eyes as he did so.

'Red, I want this. I want this more than anything. Please make love to me'.

Red smiled and lifted her up from his lap, turning her sideways and lying her down on her back.

'Well then, my beautiful princess, seeing as you asked so nicely', Red said as he reached down and swiftly divested Liz of her sleep shorts. He tugged them down over her ankles and then returned immediately to look back into her eyes, keenly watching to see she was really okay with this.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back down for a long, deep kiss. They were both completely out of breath by the time they'd finished. Liz's hands then ventured down Red's body and found the top of his boxers. 'Off, Red, now, please' she managed to say, her voice sounding a little strained.

Red sat up briefly and took off his boxers before returning to her arms. They were now both completely naked and their hands were touching, exploring, stroking each other hungrily. Red couldn't wait any longer to taste her body and he ducked down and wrapped his mouth around one of her nipples, gently sucking and nipping at it. As he was doing that, his hand cupped her other breast and kneaded it in his palm. Liz started to open her legs to allow herself to cradle him and Red shifted slightly, lowering his weight carefully on top of her. She felt his arousal pushing against her thigh and whimpered.

Red immediately popped his head back up to look at her. 'Are you okay, my angel?' 'Yes, Red, you feel so good. Please, I want you now…..'

Red let his hand slowly travel down her body to her most intimate part, and he ran his fingers through her folds, making sure she was ready for him. Red was very happy to find that she was dripping wet, her juices flowing freely down onto the mattress. He grunted in appreciation. Liz reached down and grabbed his shaft, its size and girth causing her to raise an eyebrow at him. He laughed lightly at her and shifted his hips a little, allowing her to line him up with her entrance.

Once he was in place, he hovered over her and made eye contact, smiling at her whilst desperately trying not just to plunge straight into her heat. 'Yes, my darling?'

'Yes, Red. Please, yes!'

He moved his hips forward slowly and his length gradually began to sink into her. Liz gasped and grabbed onto his shoulders tightly. He was so big he was stretching her more than she'd ever been stretched before. It was glorious but a little sore. He immediately stilled his movements and started kissing her neck and cheek, whispering into her ear that it was okay, he could wait, he would never hurt her. Liz almost wanted to cry at how gentle and loving he was being. She kissed his cheek and told him to push in a little further. He did so and then stilled again, allowing her to adjust. After a few moments she grabbed his ass and pulled him the rest of the way in, groaning loudly as he buried himself in her fully.

They locked eyes again, each savouring this wonderful moment. Then Liz rocked her hips slightly and Red started moving. At first his thrusts were very slow and deliberate as she finished getting used to his size. But then, as she urged him on, he started to speed up and pump in and out of her with more and more abandon. Both of them knew they wouldn't last long this first time. It was just too damn good. Within just a few minutes Red could feel his orgasm starting to build and looking at Liz, the way she was biting her lip and struggling to breathe, he could tell she was close too.

'Sweetheart, I'm nearly….. I'm gonna…..', Red said and Liz replied, 'Me too, Red, just another second… Oh….'. Liz didn't manage to finish her sentence as her orgasm overwhelmed her. Her inner muscles clenched around Red's shaft and they both came together, moaning and crying out in their shared ecstasy.

Red lay on top of her as he attempted to regain control of himself, each breathing heavily and kissing each other and whispering sweet nothings in each other's ears. Then he slowly rolled off and pulled her with him, tucking her into his side and holding her close.

As they both lay there recovering, they slowly started to doze off again, each deliriously happy in their mutual afterglow.

It was Red who re-awoke first, gently brought to consciousness by the sound of the grandfather clock chiming noon. 'Good grief', he muttered to himself as he realised they'd slept the whole morning away. He turned then to look at Liz, as she lay tucked up right next to him, snoring softly. He smiled at her and desperately wanted to kiss her awake but decided to let her be for now. He eased himself off the mattress and headed for the bathroom to freshen up.

When he came out of the bathroom, Liz was still asleep but had now grabbed Red's pillow and had her face squashed right into it and her arms pulling it tightly to herself. Red thought this was possibly the most adorable thing he'd ever seen and was once more tempted to wake her. However, he then decided that maybe breakfast in bed would be a better way for Liz to be awoken and headed off to the kitchen.

He had just finished ransacking the cupboards and discovering some vacuum sealed rosti at the back of one of them when Liz's voice grabbed his attention from the doorway.

'Red, why didn't you wake me up, it's half past twelve?'

'I'm sorry, sweetheart, I did consider it but you looked so peaceful. Although I have to declare that I find myself somewhat jealous of that pillow you were wrapped around…..'

Liz smiled at him and stepped towards him, reaching her head up and kissing him gently on the mouth. 'No need to be jealous of a pillow, Red, it was a poor substitute for you. Although it does smell of you, to be fair'.

Red smiled back at her, 'Ah, well, you have the real thing now so you'd better make the most of it'.

'Hmm, that sounds like a good idea. However, if I don't eat something in the next five minutes, I think I'm gonna faint. For some reason, I feel like I've burnt a lot of calories this morning', she smirked at him.

'Well, there was certainly some energy expended, yes', he replied to her, waggling his eyebrows. 'I've found some rosti; how does that sound?'

'Wonderful, whatever it is, bring it on!'

Red turned back to the oven and started preparing their breakfast. Meanwhile, Liz went over to the cupboard and pulled out another packet of cake mix. 'Hey, Red, what's say we attempt to make another cake?'

'When you say 'we', I hope you're not associating me with that brick you produced the other day, Elizabeth? I'll have you know I'm very proud of my reputation in the kitchen…..'

Red was cut off from finishing his sentence by Liz slapping his ass and pulling him by the back of his pants into her embrace, 'I'm sorry, Red, what were you saying?'

'I, er, was just saying a cake sounds a wonderful idea, yes. However, we need to be careful with how much food we're eating as the cupboard doesn't have an endless supply and that snow's showing no signs of thawing yet'.

'Yeah, true. But once the cake is baked, we can snack on it for days. Okay, I'll get it ready, you make breakfast. Deal?'

'Yes, Ma'am'

They both set about their tasks and within minutes the cake was in the oven and they were sitting down to their breakfast.

'Mmm, this rosti is delicious. What's in it?'

'Well, the original recipe is something like sliced potatoes, bacon, egg and cream. Obviously this isn't the finest example of the dish but it's perfectly acceptable', Red said as he scraped the last of it off his plate.

'I wish we had more of that. Certainly beats those damn beans we've been living on. Anyway, I'm gonna go have a quick shower. I reckon my knee's recovered enough that I can get myself in and out of the tub. Could you keep an eye on that cake whilst I'm gone'.

'Oh, don't worry, Lizzy, I have every intention of watching over that cake like a hawk', Red smirked at her as she limped out the room, turning her head to poke her tongue out at him as she heard his remark.

Red had just finished putting the dishes in the sink when he heard a cry from the bathroom and was there, by Liz's side, in seconds.

'What is it; did you hurt your knee?'

'Red, you bastard, you've let me sit all the way through breakfast with the most ridiculous amount of cake mix all over my face. And in my hair'.

'But I thought it made you look cute', Red implored, pretending to act innocent.

'Gah – get out, you menace. I'll deal with you once I've dealt with this', Liz said as she tugged at the sticky, floury mess that was in her hair.

'Probably for the best I leave, yes'.

Red headed back to the kitchen, a huge smile on his face.

Once Liz had finished in the bathroom, she quickly dressed and returned to the front room to sit by the fire whilst her hair dried. Red was pouring through the few books he'd found on the shelf and smiled at her as she sat down.

'Anything interesting?'

'Well, that depends how long we're trapped here. Right now, I'm not overly tempted by any of them but it may get desperate', Red said as he threw them onto the mattress next to where Liz was sitting.

'The Wizard of Oz? Are you kidding, Red; you don't like that?'

'Oh, it's fine. Quite an interesting tale, I suppose. But I know it fairly well so don't feel the need to read it again'.

'Well, maybe you could read it to me; it's one of my favourites?'

'You'd like me to read to you?'

'Well, yeah. That voice of yours…. Let's just say that sounds a lot of fun'.

Red laughed at her, 'Okay, sweetheart, if it's my amazing voice you'd like to hear, I shall read to you until I go hoarse. But maybe not today. I was thinking we could do some more puzzles, if you'd like?'

'Oh, yeah, definitely. I'm getting good at them now. Pretty soon I'll be as quick as you are at finishing them', Liz declared confidently.

'Yes, dear, just a few more years practice…'

'Cheeky', Liz smiled at him as she got carefully to her feet. 'Right, seeing as it's now two o'clock, how's about some wine?'

'Already? I thought I was the lush? Oh, who am I kidding, wine sounds great. Well, wine in general, maybe not that…..'

'Ah ah ah – didn't you agree you'd not complain any more about the wine?'

'Touché, Lizzy. Okay, I'll fetch us some, you find us a new puzzle'.

Three hours later and the two of them were well on their way to getting as drunk as the night before. They had finished a lot more of the puzzles and were now just sitting and chatting on the couch.

'Sweetheart, I need to ask you something about this morning', Red started, his nerves giving him away as his voiced trembled slightly.

'Yes, Red, it was wonderful. You're an amazing lover. As I knew you would be', Liz said as she smiled at him and reached out for his hand.

'Thank you but….. Are you sure you're okay with this development? I mean, it's not just because we're trapped here and, you know, you're feeling things that might not be….'.

Liz shut Red up with a finger over his lips. 'Red, don't you dare. This morning happened because we both wanted it to. It was perfect. I've known how you feel about me for some time. I guess I was just a little later to the party. I have no regrets whatsoever. Quite the opposite', she finished as she gave him a seductive smile.

Red heaved a sigh of relief and leant to take her in his arms. Their kiss was one filled with love and tenderness. Then they just sat together on the couch, each revelling in the closeness of the other.

'Red, I really like it here. I'm not sure I wanna leave'.

'Oh, sweetheart, I can assure you I'm also having a wonderful time. But with the food situation we hardly have a choice. Unless you'd like me to go out and wrestle a deer to the ground?'

Liz snorted out the wine she was drinking and started hiccuping immediately.

'It's not that funny, Lizzy, I do know how to track deer and…..

'Hic, it's not that, Red, hic, it's just that I, hic, had that exact image of you on, hic, our first day here. I can't believe you said that. Hic'.

'And was it as amusing then?'

'Yes, actually', Liz laughed.

'Hmm, well maybe one day I'll get a chance to show you my tracking and hunting skills. They're rather good, even if I say so myself'.

'Okay, Red, yes. Maybe one day. Hic. Dammit, I hate hiccups!'

Red laughed and leant over to pull her into a hug. He then started patting her on the back.

'Red, are you burping me?'

'Hush, Lizzy, this may yet work', Red laughed in her ear.

Miraculously, it did seem to work as Liz stopped hiccuping within thirty seconds.

'Okay, smarty pants, you were right. Thank you', Liz said as she leant towards Red and kissed him. He had just started to kiss her back when suddenly Liz hiccuped again.

'Oh, God, I am so sorry. I bit your lip, didn't I?'

'It's fine, I've had worse', Red said as he gently probed the small cut she'd given him. 'Okay, no more puzzles. How's about some cards?'

'Yes!', Liz said, lurching to her feet, 'Strip poker! And the loser has to do a forfeit. Well, another forfeit. As well as being naked, that is...'

'I, er, well, I guess we could…..'

'Red, after this morning, are you seriously worried about a little game of strip poker?', Liz said as she leant enticingly over him, letting him have a full view of her cleavage.

'No, you're right', Red said, licking his lips. 'Strip poker it is. Let me just go to the bathroom first. Why don't you start shuffling the cards. And try to think of something we could use as chips'.

Red came back from the bathroom to find Liz had already dealt the cards and was carefully breaking up something in her hands.

'Did you find anything we could use as chips?'

'I did actually. Chips!', Liz declared victoriously as she held up a handful. 'I've broken some of them in half, they can be nickels. And the whole ones can be dimes', she said as she munched one of the broken ones. 'I've also brought some jarred olives from the kitchen so we can eat as we play'.

'My, chips as chips. Very inventive, my sweet', Red said laughingly as he sat down at the coffee table.

'Red, how much are you wearing? I've worked out that I'm wearing five items of clothing. You're not allowed more than that'.

'Well, let me see', Red said, patting himself as he took stock. 'I have six items on'.

'Are you counting your socks separately? Cos that's not allowed, mister'.

'Ah, well, in which case, just the five then', Red said. He was starting to discover that tipsy Lizzy was becoming one of his favourite things in the whole world.

The two of them played for over two hours, both getting increasingly drunk and increasingly disrobed. After one particularly exciting hand, where Red had actually gotten a royal flush, he quickly popped to the bathroom. Upon his return he spied something on Liz's cheek.

'Elizabeth, are you eating the chips?'

'Er, there were some left in the bag…..'

'Oh, no, there weren't. I checked myself a few minutes ago. And my pile of chips looks suspiciously smaller than it was. You ate mine, didn't you, you sneaky little minx?'

Liz tried not to laugh but the look on Red's face made it impossible.

'Okay, yes, I did. But to be fair, I wasn't trying to cheat. I was just feeling peckish'.

'And your own chips don't taste as good?'

Liz blushed and then burst out laughing.

'Red, we're both already down to just our underwear. How's about we call this a draw?'

'Oh, no, my dear. You're not getting off that lightly. I win fair and square. By virtue of the fact you're a naughty little cheating menace', he concluded, throwing the epithet Liz had used on him earlier back at her.

'Red, that's not fair….. Oh, okay. You win. I suppose. But only because I'm in a good mood. And I like you', she said, smiling sweetly at him and batting her eyelashes.

'Don't think being nice to me now is going to get you off the hook, sweetheart. I win so I choose the ultimate forfeit. Those were your rules, right?'

'Yes', Liz giggled, feeling increasingly nervous at the mischievous leer in Red's eyes.

'Well, then, let me see… Ah, I have it'. Red leant forward and whispered in Liz's ear.

'Red, why are you whispering; we're the only people here….', Liz started to say but then gasped slightly as she made out what Red was saying.

'I was whispering as I wasn't even sure I'd be able to say it at all, let alone out loud', he said as he sat back.

'That's really what you want me to do?'

'Yes. If you're up for it. I mean, you did say that we could choose what we wanted….'

'Okay, yeah, I'm up for it'. Liz got up and headed to the bathroom. 'I'll be back in a moment'.

When she returned, Red had already cleared away the cards and chips and moved the coffee table back to the side. Liz walked towards him, a very seductive look on her face.

'Okay, then. Like this, was it?', she positively purred as she reached out for him…..


	6. Speaking of Sex

Chapter 6: Speaking of Sex

They woke up late, arms and legs entangled and Liz with her head rested on Red's shoulder. "Mmmm, I don't think I've ever slept this well", Red sighed, kissing Liz on her forehead.

"That was a good night's sleep indeed", Liz agreed, stretching her limbs.

Red placed a hand on her cheek and looked her in the eyes "I love waking up next to you, Lizzy", he said in a serious tone, "I don't want to wake up without you by my side ever again".

Liz placed her hand over his, "Me neither, Red", and gave him a sweet kiss on his lips.

"Now, first things first", Red said while getting up and making his way to the bathroom.

Liz got up as well and she suddenly had an idea. She made her way to the door.

When Red emerged from the bathroom he didn't see it coming…. Splash! A snowball right in his face. Liz was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"Ohh, big mistake Elizabeth", Red said while wiping his face with his hand.

Liz tried to get to the other side of the kitchen table but wasn't fast enough because of her knee.

Red caught her in no time and held her from behind, her arms tight to her body.

"Oh, what should I do with you now? You need to be punished for that", he whispered in her ear.

Liz squealed, "No…please Red" and squirmed in his arms, acting like she was trying to get away from him when in fact she loved Red being so playful.

"No point begging me for mercy, it's too late for that", Red grinned and turned Liz around in his arms. She was now facing him and she leant in for a kiss.

"Oh no, I don't think so!" Red moved his head away from her, "kissing you would not be a punishment, now would it?"

He pushed her until she had her behind against the edge of the kitchen table. The anticipation of what was to come was killing Liz.

Red released his grip on her and moved his hands down her arms until he held her hands with his while just staring deeply into her eyes.

Liz could feel the heat between them and she noticed that they both started to breathe heavier. After looking into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever they couldn't take it anymore and within seconds their lips had found each other.

There was nothing sweet and gentle about it anymore. Their hands were all over each other's bodies and were tugging at their clothes. Their mouths devouring each other, kissing roughly, tongues and teeth were licking and biting.

Red lifted Liz up and sat her down on the kitchen table, not breaking their kiss.

He lifted her top and Liz lifted her arms to help him take it off and she did the same with his shirt. She needed to feel his body closer so she opened her legs so Red could stand between them. One of his hands got a hold on one of Liz's breasts, pinching her nipple between his fingers while his other hand went up in her hair, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.

Liz moaned as she felt his fingers pinch her and her hands went down from his chest. She slid one hand inside his boxers and grabbed his length and started pulling.

Now it was Red's turn to moan and he started tugging on her panties. He couldn't wait for her to take them off and Liz heard the fabric tear.

Red could feel her smiling against his mouth before resuming their frantic kiss.

Liz pushed down Red's boxers and he quickly stepped out of them. Free at last.

He looked down and could see the glistening of her moisture and knew she was ready for him yet again. He still couldn't believe she got this wet because of him.

The table was the perfect height so all Red had to do was take a step forward to let himself sink into her. He pressed the tip of his member against her entrance and pushed it in a little bit.

"No need to take it slow Red, please just push in", Liz begged him, pulling his ass with her heels to add emphasis to her words.

He grabbed her hips, did what she'd asked and pushed himself inside her to the hilt in one swift move. They both cried out at the feeling.

They started kissing again as Red held still but that only took a second. He started moving in a fast pace, grabbing Liz's ass, pulling her even closer.

Liz wrapped her arms around his shoulders and started kissing him everywhere.

His neck, ear, sideburn, cheek, anywhere she could reach, while holding on tight.

Red let out a low growl of pleasure and Liz felt the timbre through her entire body.

They found each other's mouths again and their frantic kiss continued while Red kept pounding into her.

They were breathing uncontrollably as they were getting closer to their climaxes.

Red wriggled a hand between them and started caressing Liz's clit with his fingers.

That was the last straw for Liz as she tumbled over the edge, an orgasm so strong it made her dizzy.

Liz's inner muscles milking him were enough for Red to reach his own high and after a few last moves, they stilled in each other's arms.

"Now, I really don't mind punishments like that", Liz grinned as they were catching their breath.

"Well, I guess I had something else in mind but I now realise it's very hard to control myself around you", Red whispered breathlessly while giving Liz kisses on her face and neck.

They stayed like that, in each other's arms for a while, trying to come back down to earth.

After a while Red put his boxers back on and went to make some coffee as Liz sat down at the table.

"Okay, I'll need to go out and chop some more wood for the fire, as we're running out quickly" Red said as they were sipping their coffee.

"That's a good idea. We don't want to run out of logs, we might freeze to death".

"I guess we would just have to keep each other warm", Red winked with a cheeky smile.

Red went to get the wheelbarrow, axe and big pieces of wood from the shed and started chopping.

Liz stood there, watching him from the kitchen window again. She decided to go outside as well and put on some boots and a jacket.

"I thought I'd keep you company this time. Besides I could use some fresh air" Liz said while walking towards Red.

"That's very nice of you, sweetheart" Red smiled. But his smile disappeared quickly when he saw the snowball that was coming towards his face. He ducked and avoided the ball nicely.

"Did you come out here to keep me company or to distract me from my work?" Red laughed, ducking from another snowball.

"Well, I already wanted to do this last time you were out here chopping wood but my leg kept me from coming outside, so all I could do was watch you from the window. Now I get my chance to finally do so", Liz said while throwing another snowball at Red.

"Aha! So you were watching me the other day? I thought I saw the curtain move but wasn't sure".

"Eh, well, eh, yes I was…"Liz admitted reluctantly, "I guess I just really like watching you doing manual labour. Although it would be so much better without you wearing all those layers of clothes", she chuckled.

Red raised an eyebrow and smiled at her as he put the axe down for a moment to throw a snowball back at her. "I would love to get into a snowball fight with you but I really need to get this done, darling" he said while picking up the axe to resume his work.

"Sure thing, gorgeous" Liz replied, "You keep chopping and I will see if there's something we can munch on later".

After almost an hour of chopping wood Red was sure they would have enough logs to last them a couple of days. He went back inside where Liz was already waiting for him with some crackers with onion relish and a bowl of olives.

"Oh, that's lovely and very welcome", Red said while stroking his hand over his belly. They sat at the kitchen table while quietly eating the snacks.

"I've been sweating like crazy, so if you don't mind I'm going for a quick shower"

"I don't mind at all…but maybe you would like some company?" Liz asked shyly.

This whole thing with her and Red was so new and she was still a bit unsure about what Red wanted. But she was quickly reassured when he pulled her close.

"Mmm, that is a great idea, Elizabeth" Red smiled at her, "Or how about taking a bath instead of a shower?"

Liz immediately agreed to that idea and Red went into the bathroom to get the bath going. In the meantime Liz fetched them a bottle of wine and two glasses and she couldn't help but feel butterflies at the thought of sharing the tub with Red.

When the bath was ready, Red went in and made himself comfortable by lying back and closing his eyes. Oh that was lovely, he thought, as the hot water soothed his sore muscles. Chopping wood was definitely hard work and not something he was used to doing.

He looked up when he heard Liz come in and a huge smile spread across his face.

She was already stark naked except for the red thong and was carrying a bottle of wine. After taking her thong off, she poured them two generous glasses, handed Red one and slowly lowered herself into the water.

Red couldn't believe he was sharing this tub with this beautiful woman. It felt like a dream. "Cheers" they said in unison, clinking their glasses.

They sat across from each other for a while, talking, drinking and laughing, their legs entangled. But soon the conversation died and the air was charged with sexual tension. They couldn't hold back any longer.

Liz went to sit on her knees in between Red's legs; she leaned forward and placed her hands on Red's shoulders. She planted a kiss on his lips, soft at first but the kiss deepened almost immediately.

Red's hands went to Liz's back, stroking it and pulling her in closer. Soft moans escaped them both as their hands started exploring each other's bodies.

Red lifted Liz up and sat her in his lap, her legs either side of him. Liz could feel him pressed against her inner thigh, already hard and ready.

Their kiss slowed a little while they were catching their breath, nipping at each other's tongues and lips, while one of Red's hands went to her breast and the other down to Liz's folds.

Even in the water he felt that she was already very wet as he started to slowly dip one finger in and out of her. "Oh yes, Raymond" Liz moaned and Red loved the fact that she called him by his name. He added another finger, which elicited another groan from Liz.

She was now moaning loudly in Red's ear and Red could sense that she was close. He pulled his fingers out and slowly stroked her around her clit with his thumb, avoiding the little bud on purpose.

It was driving Liz crazy and she could feel her whole body ache for a release.

"Please, Red…don't stop" she managed to whisper.

Red kept stroking her and added his fingers inside her again. After a few more strokes he could feel her muscles clamp around his fingers.

Liz's whole body shuddered as she reached her orgasm. She held on tight to Red's broad shoulders, writhing against him. Oh my god, this man's hands work magic, she thought as she slowly came down from her high.

As she regained composure she grabbed Red's face and kissed him long and deep. She couldn't think of a better way to show her love for him right now.

"I want to feel you", she said, as she looked him deep in his eyes.

Due to the lack of space Liz figured that the easiest way was for her to get on her back. Red sat up and somehow worked his way between her legs, lying on top of her and leaning on his arms to keep his weight off of Liz.

Liz wrapped her legs around him and they had to laugh at how uncomfortable sex in a bathtub was. "Somehow this all seemed like a great idea in my head", Red chuckled.

He leaned down to kiss her and Liz's hand moved down to place his member at her entrance. As Red pushed himself inside her, Liz couldn't help but think about how weird this felt in the water.

As Red started moving, the water started splashing over the edge of the tub.

"Oh-my-god", Red exclaimed, as he started moving in a faster pace.

It didn't take very long before Red was about to come.

"Am…almost…there…sweet…heart" he huffed and Liz squeezed her legs even closer. "Me too…hold on", she said as she started to stroke herself.

Red came with a loud groan and that was enough to push Liz over the edge as well. They rode out their orgasms together.

"Wow, that was…just wow" Red said as he tried to get up again. That was more difficult than he thought because of the tight space and he kept slipping back onto Liz, who started laughing harder and harder.

"Yes, that was quite something" she giggled as she lent Red a hand in getting up.

After sitting in the tub for a little while, kissing and cuddling, the water started to get cold.

"What do you say we take a quick shower now? Wash our hair and actually get clean", Liz suggested with a wink. "Sounds like a plan" Red said while draining the tub.

Red insisted on washing Liz and her hair and Liz returned the favour. It almost led to another sexual adventure as Red had a hard time keeping his hands off Liz's body but they soon realised that the warm water wasn't going to last.

After getting into their sleep wear they sat in bed under the blanket, cosy by the fire.

Liz was about to brush her hair when Red grabbed her hand "Please, let me".

He took the brush from her and carefully started to run it through her hair.

He was so gentle and immediately stopped every time the brush hit a tangle in Liz's hair.

Liz closed her eyes and enjoyed this moment of them being so close and in a situation she thought they would never be in. Never in a million years did she think the Raymond Reddington would end up brushing her hair and she smiled to herself.

Red ran his hand over her hair. "All done I think. Now, let me get something to eat before we settle down with a book", Red said while getting up.

Liz was already in heaven thinking about Red reading to her.

He came back with the rest of the bottle of wine that Liz had opened before and a bag of chips. "This will do. Now, move over sweetheart and let's get comfortable, we've got some reading to do", he smiled at her.

Liz had already fetched her book of choice "The Wizard of Oz" and got some more pillows from the bedroom and propped them so Red could sit up a little while she rested her head on his shoulder, her left arm wrapped around his chest.

"Ok, I'm ready!" Liz said excitedly, snuggling closer to Red. He put an arm around her while holding the book with his other hand. "Good, let's get started".

He read chapter after chapter, both were lost in the story and forgot about the chips, only occasionally taking a sip of their wine.

Liz always loved Red's voice but listening to him reading to her was something magical. She loved the deep sounds and the timbre of it and lying with her ear near his chest made that sound even better.

As Liz grew tired, she lowered her head from Red's shoulder to his chest, wrapping her arm around his waist. She closed her eyes but kept on listening.

It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep though and when Red realised she was asleep, he put the book aside.

"Sleep well, my princess," he whispered as he kissed the top of her head. He carefully took away a few pillows and lay down with Liz's head still on his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. What a perfect ending to a perfect day, he thought.


	7. Dream Lover

Chapter 7: Dream Lover

Having gotten to bed at a reasonable hour the night before and having had such an energetic day, Red and Liz both slept like babies. The next morning saw them up, fresh and perfectly rested, much earlier than usual. Liz was first to greet the morning and she couldn't resist waking Red up with a long, lingering kiss. His eyes blinked open almost as soon as their lips met and he smiled at her as he returned the kiss.

'Good morning, my angel. You're in a good mood today', he rumbled in his deep, just woken-up voice.

'Mmm, yes, I am. Something about waking up next to a beautiful, sexy man just puts a smile on my face', Liz said as she gently ran her fingers through his chest hair.

'Well, you certainly know how to put a smile on my face too, sweetheart', Red said as he found himself beaming with delight at her compliment.

'That's lucky, isn't it?', Liz said as she stretched herself out and groaned slightly at the sensation of her aching muscles being ordered to move.

'Okay, I've got a suggestion, Red'

'What's that, my dear?'

'No more sex in the bath. I feel bruised and stiff all over', Liz said as she looked over at him.

'Hmm, you could be right about that. I'm not sure logistically that was a great choice. However, if it's aching muscles that are your problem, maybe I can help?'

'Hmm?'

'I happen to know a thing or two about massage. Would you like me to see if I can help you out?'

'Oh, please, yes, Red. I feel like I've been in a fight!'

Red sat up and hovered over Liz. 'Well, first of all, I think you should probably be naked. Makes it much easier to massage properly'.

'Is that so?', Liz enquired as she happily shrugged out of her sleep clothes.

'Absolutely, my dear. Yes, yes, that's much better. Now, would you like me to start with your back?'

'Please'. Liz turned over and made herself comfortable with her head on the pillow.

Red's hands immediately set to work, starting at her neck and slowly moving downwards. He rubbed and kneaded and smoothed his hands along every inch of Liz's torso before moving lower.

'Oh, wow, Red, you're weren't wrong. That feels sooo good. You may need to massage me every day from now on'.

'I'm sure that's a commitment I can agree to, sweetheart. As long as you promise to keep making those delectable noises as I do so?'

'Not sure I have much choice about that….. Mmmph', Liz said, right on cue.

Red chuckled and moved his hands onto her buttocks.

'Oh, these feel very tense, in my expert opinion. They may need a little extra attention'.

'Have at it, masseur. I trust your expert opinion', Liz managed to gasp out just as she was once more forced to groan loudly.

Red couldn't help but laugh once more at her reaction. 'My dear, you are a very receptive client. It does my ego the world of good to hear how much this must be helping you'.

'Mm-hmm, Red. It's all just for your ego. Just don't stop, okay. I'm sure your ego could do with a little more inflating and I'm willing to… Ooooohhhh'. Liz had no chance to finish her thought as Red's hands pressed down hard into the backs of her thighs.

Once he had finished with her back half, Liz turned over, sitting up briefly to kiss him quickly, then lay down on her back.

'So, Madam, whereabouts are you particularly sore on this side?', Red asked with as professional a look on his face as he could manage.

'Well, let's see. Definitely here', Liz said, holding her hands on her abdomen.

Red got to work straight away, gently kneading and rubbing her taut stomach, eliciting yet more noises of pleasure from Liz.

'And here', Liz said, indicating her breasts.

'Madam, that is a very strange place to have aching muscles. Are you sure?'

'Yes, yes, definitely here'.

Red's hands went to her breasts and started to squeeze them lightly, gently running his thumbs over her nipples as he did so. 'Oh, you're right, Madam, yes. These did need a bit of work'.

'Thank you, yes'.

'Anywhere else?'

'Here?'

At this point, Liz grabbed Red's hand and pulled it between her thighs. His eyes immediately turned dark with desire as he felt how soaking wet she was and he groaned himself now.

'Yes, you're right. This area needs some very close attention indeed', he said as he started to stroke her, using his thumb to rub over her clit. Liz moaned with real conviction now and grabbed at his wrist, holding it close. Red shuffled nearer to her and bent over to start kissing her neck and face.

'Yes, Red, that feels wonderful', Liz managed to gasp out. He continued stroking her with his thumb and then carefully slid two fingers inside her, pumping slowly in and out. As he did this, Liz let go of his wrist and blindly reached out towards his boxers. She quickly slid her hand inside and located his already rock hard erection, fastening her hand around it and sliding it up and down, mimicking the pace Red was setting with his fingers.

Red groaned deeply at the sensation of Liz's hand on his manhood and redoubled his efforts with his own hand. A couple more swipes of his thumb and Liz came apart underneath him, letting out a guttural moan as she did so. He slowed down his ministrations and then bent over her to kiss her on the mouth. Her hand had stilled on his shaft when she had reached her peak, totally unable to think beyond her own climax.

'God, Red, you're altogether rather good at this, aren't you?', Liz eventually managed to say, looking at him lovingly.

'Let's just say you provide me with a lot of inspiration and the desire to do well, my darling', Red said as he carefully lifted her up and into his arms. They kissed again and Liz's hand returned to his boxers.

'Now then, let's see what we can do about this, shall we?', she said, smiling at him hungrily.

Red growled slightly and then allowed himself to be pulled up to a standing position. Liz backed him towards the couch and pushed him down onto it, not hesitating for a second before sitting in his lap and kissing him hard. He wrapped his arms around her waist and helped to hold her steady in his lap.

She reached down between them and slipped her hand into his boxers for a third time. This time, however, she brought his manhood back out with her hand and raised her hips slightly, completely unable to wait any longer before having him inside her.

Their eyes met briefly and then Liz lowered herself onto him, biting down on her lip as she did so. Red held himself back as much as he could, as he was desperate to start moving inside her but wanted her to set her own speed.

Liz gripped onto his shoulders to brace herself and started going immediately, setting a furious pace. Her first orgasm had only made her even hungrier for a second. And this time she had Red deep inside her. She rode him hard and breathlessly and he met her thrust for thrust, his hips pistoning up into her.

Red could feel himself nearing his climax and he bent forward slightly and took one of Liz's nipples into his mouth and starting sucking it hard, interspersing his tongue with his teeth to help her go over the edge. Meanwhile, one of his hands snaked down towards her clit. Within seconds, they both fell apart simultaneously and Liz collapsed onto Red's chest, desperate for breath and shaking from her release. Her hands rested lightly around his neck and his arms wrapped round her back, stroking her gently and soothing her.

They lay that way for some time, each absolutely exhausted by their lovemaking. Eventually Red stood up, easily taking Liz's weight up with him, and he set her on her feet.

'Shower?'

'Good idea', Liz replied. 'But just a shower, Red, seriously. I can barely stand on my legs as it is'.

'I promise to behave'.

They both disappeared into the bathroom and somehow managed to have a shower with hardly any kissing or groping. Both clean and freshly dressed, they made their way to the kitchen to find something to eat.

'How about some cake for breakfast, Red? It's still pretty fresh'.

'Good idea. Fresh and extraordinarily healthy, so I believe'.

'I'm not sure we need to worry too much about extra calories right now, not with all the exercise we're getting', Liz said, winking at Red.

They sat at the kitchen table and quietly enjoyed two large slices of cake and some coffee. After they'd finished, Red stood up and declared he was going to go outside for some fresh air and a cigar.

'A cigar? Since when do you have cigars with you?'

'I have a couple in my go-bag. You know I carry all the essentials', Red replied with a confused look on his face.

'All the essentials?'

'Well, no, maybe not all. I've never carried more than a hip flask's worth of alcohol. And that's only for medicinal purposes'.

'Red, you know damn well I was questioning 'cigars' as being an 'essential', rather than, say, more ammo or something?'

'Elizabeth, if I am ever trapped somewhere, facing certain death, I do feel that a wonderful Cuban cigar should be at least one thing I can enjoy before meeting my maker'.

'Fine', Liz huffed, still not sure whether to be amused or annoyed with him for carrying something with him that she saw as entirely superfluous. 'May I join you outside? I'd like some fresh air too'.

'Of course you may, my sweet. Let's get some extra clothing on'.

They stepped out onto the porch and Red lit up his cigar with a match before inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, a blissful look on his face. 'Ah, yes, that's better'.

Liz sighed and rolled her eyes.

'Is it just me or is it not as cold today?', she asked him.

'I do think you're right, Lizzy'. Red kicked at the snow surrounding the porch. 'And I think the snow's starting to melt. It's certainly quite slushy here. I think we might actually be able to try to get out of here soon. We'll see if this thaw continues'.

Liz nodded, whilst simultaneously looking over at Red sadly.

'Lizzy, I know you like it here. And so do I, I assure you. But we really can't stay forever. There's the food situation for one thing. But on an entirely different note, we need to get back to civilisation in order to clear your name'.

'I know, I know. I just really love being here with you and having you all to myself. Promise me, once we've cleared my name, assuming we can, we'll go somewhere like this again? And stay for months?'

Red laughed as he took her into his arms, carefully holding his cigar behind her so as not to allow the smoke to blow in her face. 'I promise, my darling. Although I'd like to put in a preemptive bid for maybe somewhere a little less frozen?'

'Deal', Liz smiled up at him and quickly pecked him on his lips.

'Okay, no more kissing for you until you brush your teeth. Yuck, you taste gross'.

'Sorry, sorry, I'll wash this cigar out of my mouth as soon as I'm done. Now what would you like to do for the rest of the day?'

'Hmm, I'm not sure. Maybe you could read to me some more? Or more puzzles? Or cards?'

'Cards, eh? You up for another round of strip poker, then?'

'Ha', Liz laughed at him, 'Maybe not strip poker. I'm still feeling the repercussions of my forfeit the other night'.

Red grinned at her lasciviously and waggled his eyebrows, using the cigar as an extra prop in order to look like Groucho Marx.

'Well, sweetheart, you made the rules, I just followed your lead'.

She turned back to the cabin, slapping him on his ass as she moved towards it. 'Yes, Red, you're very good at adhering to the rules when it suits you', she said as she stepped back into the warmth.

Once Red came back into the cabin, he took off his extra clothing and stepped into the bathroom to clean his teeth. He then grabbed them both the last of the olives from the kitchen and brought through another bottle of wine and two glasses.

'Right, let's see what Dorothy's up to now, shall we?'

They lay down together once more on the bed, Liz automatically snuggling into his side and reaching her arm around his waist, her head resting on his chest. He began reading and the two of them happily sat like that for some time, sipping at their wine and nibbling at their olives. It was another blissful afternoon.

As evening approached, Red's stomach started to grumble and Liz couldn't help but laugh. 'You sound like you've not eaten for weeks with all that growling. Or are you just trying to act out the cowardly lion?' she said as she playfully poked him in the stomach.

'Very funny, sweetheart. Come on, let's go see what I can rustle up for dinner'.

They stepped into the kitchen and before too long Red had concocted some semblance of an evening meal for them. They sat at the table and shared their food, finishing off their wine as they did so.

'How's your knee, Lizzy? Do you think, if the snow's still melting tomorrow, it's strong enough to carry you out of here?'

'I'm not sure. I think so. We'll have to take it slowly but I can give it a go'.

'Okay, well I'll see if I can find something to bind it a little then, when the time comes. That'll give you some more support'.

Liz murmured her agreement, whilst spooning the last of her dinner into her mouth.

'Hey, lean forward a moment, my dear….. You've got a little something on your chin', Red said as he reached his arm across the table and used his finger to swipe a bit of sauce from under Liz's mouth. After he'd succeeded in wiping it up he held his finger to her mouth to allow her to lick it clean. She eagerly took his whole finger into her mouth and sucked it hungrily, whilst looking up at him from under her lashes. As she did this, Red's eyes once more took on an aroused glint and he smirked at her hungrily.

'Bed, my dear?'

'Sounds like a plan', Liz said as she stood up and grabbed Red's hand, dragging him into the front room. They quickly ripped off their clothes, Red pausing just long enough to throw some more logs on the fire, and again consummated their newfound love long into the night.


	8. Curtain Call

Chapter 8: Curtain Call

Red woke up, not really sure what it was that had roused him. But he realised soon enough when he felt her warm, wet mouth on him.

His eyes sprang open and he looked down only to find Liz sucking on him like a mad woman. He groaned loudly, which made Liz look up and she smiled at him, not releasing his member from her mouth.

"God, Lizzy…" Red whispered as he closed his eyes again and threw his head back onto his pillow. His hands found their way into her hair, his fingers tangling in it and gently guiding her head.

Liz kept on going while keeping an eye on Red's face. She loved the way he'd reacted and was very happy with herself for taking this action.

When she had woken up, only a few minutes ago, she'd found Red still fast asleep next to her, his arm draped around her waist. She'd watched him for a while, just taking in the sight of his boyish face while he was asleep. Staring at his gorgeous lips and beautiful eyelashes. God, she loved that man.

She'd first wanted to wake him up by showering his face and lips with kisses but soon the idea of waking him like this crept into her head and she just went with it, hoping that Red would love it as much as she did.

And seeing his reaction she knew that he definitely approved.

She held his shaft a bit tighter while she licked the tip, licking the moisture off it before taking it back into her mouth, this time as deep as she could manage.

This elicited an animalistic noise from Red, who tightened his grip in her hair.

Liz felt that Red was close and that only spurred her on. She increased the tempo as her head bobbed up and down.

"Liz…stop…I'm…about…to…come", Red moaned, trying to warn her.

But Liz had no intention of stopping and when Red came with short hot spurts, Liz kept her mouth on him, swallowing hard, trying not to spill one single bit.

Mmm, she loved the taste of him and she'd wanted to do this ever since they got together.

Red was trying to get his composure back after this amazing high and when his eyes regained focus he looked at Liz with a loving smile.

"Wow, sweetheart, what a way to wake up"

"Hmm, I had a feeling you would like it", she said with a wink. She lay back down and snuggled up to his broad chest.

"You know, when we get out of here, I'm really going to miss all this…" Liz sighed.

"Don't worry darling, we can do this anywhere, anytime", Red assured her.

"I know. But I just love this. Waking up in your arms on a mattress by the fire", she explained, "We won't have that at home".

"We won't. But we can always create a setting like this at home if you really want to", Red chuckled, "Throw a mattress in front of my fireplace".

"No, really Lizzy, don't worry about any of that. We will be waking up in each other's arms after we get back. Cabin or no cabin".

Liz held Red even tighter and it didn't take long for her to doze off again.

She woke up from noises coming from the kitchen and the smell of food made her stomach rumble loudly.

Liz got up and walked towards the kitchen, where she found Red making breakfast.

"Ah good, you're up", Red gave her a radiant smile, "I thought I'd make some pancakes again. I remember that you quite liked them".

"Mmmm yes! Thank you", Liz said while giving him a kiss on the lips.

"I'm starving so pancakes are very welcome"

"Yes, they are quite filling, aren't they?" Red agreed, "And since we might be hiking out of here today, I figured we need a good meal".

"What? Really?" Liz asked with mixed feelings, cause part of her didn't want to leave.

"Yes, really. I just went outside and the snow is still melting. The temperature is much warmer as well and it's actually nice and sunny. So I thought we could try to make it back to the road"

They ate their pancakes in comfortable silence, both thinking about the changes that were about to happen. Them leaving the cabin was inevitable and necessary but they both loved being here with only each other's company.

The moment they got back home they had other people to worry about and not to mention having to clear Liz's name.

After cleaning up the kitchen they decided to have a look outside together and see if it really was a good time to leave.

The snow on the porch was almost gone and the moment Liz stepped outside she could feel the warm temperature and the rays of sun that broke through the trees onto her face.

She took a deep breath through her nose, taking in some much-needed fresh air.

Red stood next to her doing the same thing. He turned to her and held her face between his hands.

"This doesn't mean the end, sweetheart", he said when he saw her worried look.

"I know Red, I just love being together without having to worry about blacklisters and people trying to kill us", she said with a wry smile.

"I understand. I kind of like it too to be honest", he laughed before continuing, "But let's make a deal right now, that no matter what happens we will take time out to be together once in a while. Just the two of us, going anywhere you want".

"I like that idea" Liz said before leaning in for a long kiss. "Maybe we can rent this cabin sometime" she giggled.

After having a walk around the cabin and finding that the snow definitely had melted and it was a lot easier to get through, they decided to try to make their way back to the road later that day.

"Let's get this place back to the way it was and get some food and drinks ready to go" Red said as they walked back inside.

"Yes. And I want to clean the bathroom a bit as well. Don't want to leave a mess behind", Liz said.

While Red went to the kitchen to prepare some snacks Liz entered the bathroom.

She was just putting away some of the dirty towels when she suddenly felt two hands on her hips.

Red spun her around and planted his mouth firmly on hers. Their kiss deepened and Liz threw her arms around Red's neck. Oh my, she would miss this so much. Red's playfulness and not having a care in the world.

As they came up for air Red looked around and carefully pushed Liz down onto the pile of towels.

"You fell asleep before I had the chance to return the favour", Red winked as he quickly took off her pants and lowered her panties to her ankles.

Liz wanted to protest, say that he really didn't have to, when Red was already on his knees and had his mouth pressed to her lower lips. Liz gasped at the sudden but heavenly feeling.

Red's tongue darted out and he slowly started to lick her folds and now and then flicked against her clit.

Liz's hands automatically went to his head and caressed his short shaven hair and sideburns. She could never get enough of this man.

It didn't take long before Liz was writhing her hips against Red's face and he placed one hand on her stomach to hold her down. The other hand went between her legs and he stroked her clit with his fingers while he buried his tongue inside her.

By the time she was getting close to her climax, Liz was moaning and grunting loudly. "Oh God, Red, yes!"

After just a few more strokes Liz's body exploded in an incredible orgasm.

Red kept licking until Liz had stilled. She was panting hard and struggling to get her breath back.

Red looked up and smiled at her, "You taste divine, darling" he said while he started kissing her body, leaving a trail from her stomach up to her neck, not missing a spot.

Liz grabbed his face and kissed him deeply. She could taste herself on his lips and tongue and had to admit that it turned her on.

"Mmm, I guess that was a perfect ending of our adventure here", Red said while slowly getting up.

"Yes it was", Liz agreed.

After getting dressed Red went back to the kitchen where he wrapped a few things in foil to take with them.

Together they carried the mattress back to the bedroom and tidied the living room area.

When Liz went into the kitchen to check if everything was in order she noticed the pile of money. "Red? Are you leaving all that?" Liz asked.

Red walked in and answered, "Yes darling, I thought it would be a nice gesture. We spent a week in here, using their food, water, logs and gas. It's the least we can do. I also left a little note with it, explaining what happened and why we stayed here. Oh, and I also mentioned that I fixed their clock", he said with a smile.

"Aaww, that is so sweet. Aren't you being a good citizen?" she said, poking him in the ribs. "I'm just kidding Red, I think it's very nice of you", she kissed him on the cheek.

"Okay, so do you have everything? I packed some food and water, so I think we're good to go. How is your knee? Is it okay or do you need me to bind it?" Red asked.

"No, it's fine. If I'm careful I'm sure I can walk on it properly".

"Okay then, let's go. Just give me your bag. I'll carry it, you just make sure you can walk"

Red took Liz's bag and placed it over his shoulder while closing the door firmly behind them.

" I guess that's really it…." Liz said sadly, looking at the cabin's closed door.

"Yes it is, sweetheart", Red said as he pulled Liz close for a kiss. While they were kissing they heard the grandfather clock chime on cue, as if it was saying goodbye.

"Let's go, darling", Red took Liz's hand and led the way.

They started walking back down the hill the same way they'd come up, except this time the circumstances were a lot better. It was warmer and quite sunny and the snow was melting quickly.

After walking for a while Liz's knee started to get a bit sore so they took their time and were careful where to walk.

"Look Red, isn't that the mailbox we saw on our first day?" Liz pointed at a box a couple of feet away.

"Yes, it definitely looks like it. And I doubt there are many others around here" he laughed. "But that's good, cause it means we're close to the road. Here, have a snack and some water before we go down there trying to hitch a ride", Red said while taking some things out of his bag.

After making their way to the road they looked for the best place to stand for hitchhiking. Because Red was immaculately dressed as always, he was the one standing next to the road, holding up his hand.

"Let's try to get a ride to the next town, okay? We'll get our own car there to take us further", Red said to Liz.

"Ah, stealing a car? You're back to business, I see", she grinned.

It wasn't very busy but the few cars that did pass didn't stop.

Just when Red was about to step away from the road he saw another car coming. It was a black SUV and it slowed down and then came to a halt.

The driver lowered the passenger window.

"Hi guys, where are you heading?"

"Hi there! We're just looking to get to the next town", Red said with a friendly smile.

"Okay, hop in" the man said.

"Thank you so much", Red said before opening the back door for Liz.

She climbed in and Red climbed in after her, setting the bags on the floor beside him.

As the car pulled away, Red took Liz's hand in his and started stroking the back of it with his thumb.

They looked at each other and Red gave her a reassuring smile. Things were going to be okay…

* * *

NOTE:

Thanks so much to everyone who's taken the time to read this. We hope you enjoyed it. It was our first joint FF. Who knows;there might be more...?


End file.
